The new (Catamount) path blazer

satisfy Matt Williams, the new head of the Catamount path Association.

Name: Matt Williams  Age: 30

Family: Wife, Nina

Hometown: building a house in Moretown

Occupation: executive director of the Catamount path Association

Primary sports: Backcountry skiing, mountain bike racing

In April, Matt Williams took over from Amy Kelsey, who stepped down after nine

The former collegiate mountain biking trainer grew up skiing out his back door in Sharon.
years,  as the new executive director of the Catamount path Association, the non-profit that oversees the length-of-Vermont backcountry ski path as well as which has been instrumental in promoting backcountry skiing. A Vermont native, Williams returns after costs five years as head trainer at Warren Wilson college in North Carolina. during his tenure, the cycling team established national caliber road as well as cyclocross teams, added cycling scholarships, as well as broadened its on-campus facilities. Under his leadership, the program saw competitive success in all disciplines. during the 2017-2018 academic year, Williams served as the director of tactical Initiatives, Athletics, as well as oversaw all athletic programs for the college.

What brings a 30-year-old from North Carolina to Vermont?

My spouse as well as I were in Asheville, North Carolina for a number of years where I was coaching mountain biking, however I’m from Sharon as well as she grew up in Montpelier. I grew up skiing, mountain biking as well as backpacking as well as worked at Onion River Sports. There, I did a great deal of events for the neighborhood that got me truly thrilled about linking towns with backcountry infrastructure. When the chance opened as much as be the new executive director of the Catamount path Association, it felt like whatever I wished to do.

What was life like growing up?

My mother is from Waterbury as well as is a seventh generation Vermonter. My granddad was a dairy farmer in Waterbury as well as my father grew up skiing in the mad River Valley. Both of my parents were ski bums in Stowe in the 1980s as well as then worked at the Hulbert outside center in Fairlee leading backcountry canoe trips. We had a bit sheep farm as well as I might go skiing as well as mountain biking out my back door.

So you discovered to ski on your sheep farm?

I discovered to ski as part of the institution program, however on our farm we had those galvanized aluminum spotlights for lambing season as well as I’d run those lights behind my home as well as herringbone up as well as ski down. I had some waxless Karhus or something. When I was in sixth or seventh grade I got some actual tele boots as well as some old-school skis. 

How did you begin mountain bike racing?

I started bike racing in elementary school. There was a regular training race at the three Stallion Inn in Randolph as well as we’d likewise drive as much as the Catamount outside center in Williston for the Wednesday night training races.  install Snow was big in the mountain bike world then as well as we’d drive down as well as view the pro races. By high school, I was racing on teams as well as traveling.

Matt Williams is the new executive director of the Catamount path Association.
What led to coaching?

I went to Warren Wilson college in North Carolina as well as got on some national championship podiums my senior year. In the 2008 mountain Bike Collegiate national championship I was fourth in the cross-country race as well as fifth in the short track as well as second for finest all-around. I got to the pro level as well as raced on the road for a relatively high level junior team. When Warren Wilson chose to invest in its cycling program as well as was searching for a trainer the pieces fell into location as well as I took the job.

Why the Catamount path Association?

I grew up backcountry as well as cross-country skiing as well as what I’ve always appreciated about the Catamount path is exactly how it weaves its method with ski centers as well as villages as well as links you to locations you didn’t understand you might ski to. The huge job in the next 10 to 20 years is to link all these ski centers we have to towns as well as villages. It’s already started, Camiseta Selección de fútbol de Serbia as well as we want to be a part of that.

Do you see the Catamount path ending up being a mountain bike path Camiseta Real Madrid too?

I don’t understand at this point. We’re a ski organization as well as there are a Camiseta Selección de fútbol de Países Bajos great deal of landowner connections that are sensitive, as well as we are a long method from being there. We are at a location where we have a history of working together with the Vermont mountain Bike Association, Vermont Huts, as well as the eco-friendly mountain Club.  The “X factor” in the long run is climate modification as it is for any type of ski- based group. any type of ski organization looking out 20 to 30 years has to think about this.

Biggest challenges?

At CTA we work with a great deal of personal landownernull